Morning and Evening Chapter 5

Chang Ming’an never went back to the old house after that day, and He Mu never called him again. He slowly put the matter out of his mind, but occasionally when he walked on campus and saw his students walking on the school path covered with ginkgo leaves, he would think of He Mu.

Given his age, he should be in college.

But that was just wishful thinking. In such a big city, everyone has a story in their pocket. Did he really want to go out of his way to take on someone else’s story?

Chang Ming’an bent down and picked up a few beautifully shaped ginkgo leaves, wiped the stains off them with a tissue, and tucked them into his book.

He was working on an economic model recently and rarely went out, until his mother called him.

Chang’s mother’s name was Yang Xiaozhen. She had been a feisty and beautiful woman when she was young, and she was very sharp-tongued. After Chang’s father died in a car accident, she raised her son alone and became much gentler, but her style remained as tough as ever.

Ms. Yang Xiaozhen had recently become keen on introducing girlfriends to her son. This time, she had found some young lady and found out all about her appearance and profession, and remotely directed her son to meet her.

Chang Ming’an sighed on the other end of the phone: “Mom, you…”

Yang Xiaozhen interrupted him, making the final decision: “Just meet her, make some friends, don’t be alone all the time, it’s too boring.”

Chang Ming’an was silent for a while, then said, “Then you shouldn’t be alone all day long.”

Yang Xiaozhen had recently joined a tour group with her square dancing friends. She could vaguely hear her fellow group members calling her over the phone. She replied nonchalantly, “I’m not bored. Okay, okay, remember to go!”

Before he could finish speaking, the phone was hung up.

Since things had come to this, Chang Ming’an had no choice but to go. He arranged to meet the woman at a movie theater, casually bought two tickets for a currently showing film, and chatted awkwardly.

Neither party explicitly stated that it was a blind date; they simply chatted like ordinary friends. Chang Ming’an was a good listener, never letting the conversation fall flat or drift off. When one topic ended, he would bring up another, allowing the woman to continue. He had such a soothing personality, and his good looks, combined with his khaki trench coat which made him appear especially warm in the autumn air, meant that while the two weren’t overly enthusiastic, the conversation never became awkward.

When the movie was about to start, the woman went to the restroom. Chang Ming’an finally leaned back on the small sofa and let out a sigh of relief. He draped his trench coat over his arm, stood up, and took out his phone, tapping away aimlessly.

He caught a glimpse of a slender figure out of the corner of his eye, his heart skipped a beat, and he turned around abruptly.

It really was He Mu.

Today he was wearing a smoky gray cheongsam with large, blooming peonies embroidered on the hem, some with withered petals. Because of the cold weather, he also wore a shawl, which covered most of his shoulders and hips, which were wider than those of an ordinary woman. With his long, flowing hair and exquisitely applied makeup, he looked like a tall, elegant woman in a cheongsam, attracting the attention of passersby.

He had his back to Chang Ming’an, holding the arm of a male companion. The companion, however, was facing Chang Ming’an, a fawning smile on his face, his eyes revealing obvious infatuation and longing. Chang Ming’an couldn’t help but think of the ambiguous marks on He Mu’s body that he had seen before, and the bright red mole on his chest.

Chang Ming’an’s female companion returned at that moment, so the two of them had to take their tickets and enter the venue, finding their seats.

As the show was about to start, audience members entered the venue intermittently. Chang Ming’an saw He Mu and his male companion. The two followed their ticket stubs to the same row as Chang Ming’an and walked towards the two empty seats next to him.

Their eyes met, and both were momentarily stunned. Chang Ming’an smiled slightly at him, while He Mu pursed his lips and looked away. The lights in the theater dimmed for a moment, and Chang Ming’an politely sat up straight, pulling his legs back to let He Mu pass. In the darkness, he felt He Mu’s leg brush past his knee.

He Mu, wearing high heels, tripped and lost his balance, bending over to support himself on Chang Ming’an’s thigh. Chang Ming’an was startled and quickly reached out to steady him; their hands briefly clasped and then quickly separated.

“Be careful,” Chang Ming’an said in a low voice.

He Mu sat silently in the empty seat next to him, the scent of perfume barely perceptible.

Chang Ming’an barely paid attention to the movie. He Mu’s male companion seemed unusually noisy, constantly whispering in He Mu’s ear throughout the film. Some audience members in the front row even turned around to look at him with dissatisfaction. Chang Ming’an glanced at He Mu’s face, which occasionally appeared cold and distant in the light from the screen. Even his occasional smiles seemed practiced and rehearsed.

More than two hours passed in this way. He Mu left early, and Chang Ming’an, who followed him out, met him in the smoking area.

He Mu leaned against the wall, a cigarette between his fingers, his red-painted lips slightly parted, exhaling a puff of smoke. Chang Ming’an walked over, and He Mu glanced at him sideways without saying a word.

Chang Ming’an made conversation: “Your boyfriend?”

“Your girlfriend?”

Chang Ming’an took a moment to realize what he was talking about and patiently replied, “No, just ordinary friends.”

He Mu smiled slightly: “No, just ordinary friends.”

He was like a prickly hedgehog, making it impossible to know where to start. After thinking it over, Chang Ming’an finally asked, “Are you short of money?”

He Mu raised an eyebrow, stubbed out his cigarette, and threw it in the trash can, a mix of emotions swirling within him. He thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile, “Yes, frequently changing male partners does seem a bit much to others.” He said in a self-deprecating tone, “Yeah, I’m short of money.”

Chang Ming’an seemed relieved; he might not be able to help with other things, but he could at least help with this.

“I told you, you can ask me for help.”

“Do you think you’re a savior? I’m not your student, Teacher Chang.”

Chang Ming’an was speechless for a moment, then silently took out his wallet, rummaged through it, and found a card.

“There’s some money on this card, you can use it, consider it a loan, pay me back later. If you’re studying in the university town, I can introduce you to some work-study jobs if you need them.”

Seeing that he actually handed over a card, He Mu’s expression shifted between light and dark. And Chang Ming’an’s outstretched hand froze in mid-air as he asked, “Why do you insist on helping me?”

Chang Ming’an was stumped by his question and didn’t know how to answer for a moment.

He Mu snatched the card away, poked Chang Ming’an’s chest with the card’s pointed end, and deliberately said, “Are you looking for an overnight, monthly, or yearly subscription?”

Chang Ming’an said without any threat, “Stop messing around.”

He pulled out another business card and handed it to He Mu.

“You can contact me anytime if you need anything.”